The present invention relates to a jumper cable system for charging batteries on motorcycles, lawnmowers, boats, lawn tractors, and the like.
It sometimes happens that an engine on a vehicle will not start because of a shortage of electricity in the vehicle""s battery. When this happens, the operator of the vehicle typically uses jumper cables to draw power from another source of electricity to start the vehicle and charge the weakened battery in the vehicle. Over the years, there have been a number of different available jumper cable systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,142 to Zapf illustrates a jumper cable comprised of first and second electrical cables which each have a pair of electrical connector clamps on one end thereof. An electrical coupling is positioned on the other end of the two electrical cables with the connectors adapted to be secured to each other at approximately the midpoint between the clamps. A polarity indicator circuit is located within each connector and is comprised of diodes and separate and differently colored lights to visually verify that the appropriate clamps have been secured to the battery being charged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,133 to Bokern illustrates a power source for use in remote locations which can be operated off of an automobile battery system. The power source includes means for distinguishing between different voltages and includes means to indicate when power has been reduced from the power source or battery below a safe level for taking additional power therefrom.
The device also includes means for preventing a polarity reversal from causing damage. It further includes adapter means by which the subject power source can be plugged into a receptacle such as a cigarette lighter receptacle on the dashboard of an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,381 illustrates a charging apparatus for car batteries. The charging apparatus includes a switch mode power supply to generate additional voltage and a built-in maximum current limiting circuit and voltage regulating circuit.
The apparatus further includes a pair of cigar jacks adapted to be inserted into cigarette lighter receptacles in a pair of vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,506 to Bogie et al. illustrates a similar system which also uses cigar jacks to plug into cigarette lighter receptacles.
Still other vehicle charging systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,929 to Binkley; U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,524 to Wilburn; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,817 to Shiska.
None of these battery charging systems are particularly useful with smaller vehicles such as motorcycles, lawnmowers, lawn tractors, small boats and the like.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system which has utility with smaller vehicles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system which is compact and easy to store.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a jumper cable system which is versatile so that it can be used with a variety of different sources of electrical power.
The foregoing objects are attained by the jumper cable system of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, a jumper cable system for charging batteries comprises a first cable having a pair of battery clips at one end and a male plug at a second end and a second cable having a pair of battery clips at one end and a female socket at a second end. The male plug on the first cable is sized to fit within an electrical outlet such as an automobile cigarette lighter socket. The female socket on the second cable is sized to mate with the male plug and form an electrical connection therebetween. The jumper cable system is versatile since it can be used by inserting the male plug of the first cable into an electrical outlet and connecting the battery clips to the terminals on the battery to be charged. Alternatively, the jumper cable system can be used by mating the first and second cables via the male plug and the female socket and connecting the battery clips on one cable to a source of electrical power such as a charged 12V battery and the battery clips on the second cable to a weak battery to be charged.